Category Archives: Nursery Furniture

When you have your first baby, you would be shocked at this newfound ability you have on the internet. You suddenly become a master of finding articles everywhere with something along the lines of, “10 Baby Registry Must Haves!” or “20 Registry Items You Forgot You Needed!” or “If you don’t buy or register for these items your child will in no way survive and if they do somehow make it to adolescence their chances at an Ivy League education are out the window!” [paraphrased].

I read these articles diligently, buying and putting all the items I thought I had to have on there, thinking carefully about my lifestyle, my apartment, and my baby’s future college education. Some things I struck gold on. Others? Eh. But in this 8 month (excuse me, what?!) look-back I thought maybe I could help add to the noise of the registry “must haves” list and help sift through what was worth the splurge and what wasn’t, and what was it like to have this stuff on a day-to-day-to-month basis.

Stroller: UPPAbaby Vista

A stroller is probably one of the biggest ticket items on a registry, and everyone has a different opinion on what you need according to your lifestyle. And the reason is because you do need different things according to what you’re going to be doing. I live in a city and use my stroller literally every day. Literally every. single. day. My friends who live in suburbs? Not so much. They opted for the travel system that includes an infant carseat. I wrote a blog post back in the day about the stroller debate and I had it narrowed down to two options: The UPPAbaby Vista and the City Mini Elite, based on what I valued most in a stroller: large undercarriage storage (the single most important thing for a stroller in my opinion), good handling, ease of use, ability to put an infant carseat on top. The UPPAbaby won out, and it is by far the stroller I see the most in Chicago (I hardly ever saw one in Charlotte when I lived there).

However, if I had to do it over again, I would still get an UPPAbaby, but I would have opted for its slightly “smaller” cousin, the UPPAbaby Cruz. The Cruz handles just as well, has just as large a storage underneath, the seat can turn and face you or out, and the infant carseat can still go on top, but the Cruz has a few key differences:

Cheaper – please see below re: bassinet

No bassinet is included. This might be a bad thing for some people, but Connor despised the UPPAbaby bassinet with the fiery passion of a million suns, unless it was attached the stroller and moving, which lasted about 2 months. The money saved on the stroller could have easily been allocated to a bassinet that was comfortable or to more coffee. Either way, it could have been spent in a much better way. I have read a lot of people have had the same experience with the UPPAbaby bassinet as well.

Slightly narrower – the Vista is so wide. No, seriously, it is so wide. Even when I wasn’t taking public transportation all the time in Charlotte, I couldn’t get it through aisles in stores in the mall. It handles great, but it becomes truly unwieldy in some places.

Lighter – no matter what your lifestyle, you will find yourself schlepping the stroller in some way, be it into your car, into a closet, onto the bus, etc. With the “normal” seat in, the Vista weighs in at 26 pounds. This is also an unwieldy, large, bulky, odd-to-hold-onto 26 pounds. The Cruz is just a little bit lighter, which would also assuage my guilt when kind strangers insist on helping me up/down stairs (Midwestern kindness never fails!).

Connor taking up too much space on public transportation. (I swear I don’t do this during rush hour!)

When I got the Vista, UPPAbaby claimed I could expand on it and add more seats, etc. to it. Then just as Connor was born, they completely redesigned the stroller and every attachment to it and unapologetically refused to make the new attachments, rumble seats, etc. backwards compatible, which means that in the future with more children, I will not be able to easily find the parts to make my stroller a 2+ kid stroller. To say this is disappointing and a slap in the face by UPPAbaby is an understatement. But nevertheless my lesson has been learned: do not buy things thinking that a company will keep its word even a year into the future. Buy for now, not for 2-3 years from now.

Infant Carseat: UPPAbaby Mesa

This is the carseat strapped into the stroller.

Model I purchased: UPPAbaby Mesa

Debate: Go with infant carseat or just with a convertible carseat that will take them through toddlerhood?

Hindsight conclusion: If you travel a lot or need to be in cabs, the infant carseat is a godsend. Otherwise, I would probably really consider the convertible carseat option.

Would I buy this model infant carseat again? In a second.

As a carseat, I have 0 complaints with the UPPAbaby Mesa. (I wrote a blog post about it a while back, and all of it is still true!) It’s gorgeous, safe, doesn’t take up too much room, fits easily into a sedan, is easy to use, and, as the pinnacle of amazingness, it’s easy to install.

I bought the infant carseat to use with the stroller. At the time I was in the market, the Vista needed attachments to use (while the Cruz did not) with their own brand of carseat (one of the major improvements with the redesign is that issue has since been resolved). I used this system a lot, but looking back on it – did I need to? When I weigh the options I think I lean down onto the side of “I’d do this again”, but not by much.

hahahahahahahaha. ha. ha. ha. hahahaha. I am so mean.

Since the invention of the infant seat it’s been almost universally accepted that babies go in the infant seat, then to a convertible carseat when they outgrow the infant one. You see this often: moms hauling their itty bitty babies in the carseats out of the car so as not to disturb them sleeping. This model is also helpful because itty bitty babies need something to be contained in for months. What they don’t tell you is this: carseats are heavy. And truly some of the most awkward things in the world to haul around for any distance longer than 5 feet. And heavy. Did I mention heavy? Because they are so heavy. Without a baby inside of them they are heavy, and then you add this baby-thing that just keeps on growing and getting heavier by the minute and this model of taking the baby out with the carseat becomes truly unsustainable. When I realized I could just put the baby in an Ergo carrier (or some carrier like that) and walk around the grocery store, my eyes were opened. Many restaurants have also stopped allowing you to put the carseat on top of a toddler seat, which is part of the appeal of the infant seat as well.

On the other hand, though, the infant seat (and specifically the Mesa) has some definite advantages:

Traveling – if you are traveling the infant carseat is a godsend. The ease of installation into a rental car is unparalleled.

Cab rides – in large cities you technically aren’t required to have the infant in a carseat, but…if you feel safer, you can have the infant seat without the base, then strap the infant seat into the stroller. This is quite ideal, honestly. While I’m strolling around town, though, I put the normal seat on since it’s much more comfortable.

Size – this is Mesa-specific, but this carseat only takes up one spot in the back seat of any car. I’ve had it in the back of a Prius, our Acura TSX (that we sold for our next car), our Subaru Forester. I don’t know how, but the seat somehow just fits into any car with ease.

So where do I come down on this? It’s hard to tell. After about 2-3 months, the carrying the carseat around with a baby in it (sans stroller) became almost impossible, but traveling and cab rides with the infant seat is a million times better than just having a convertible. I guess I would do it over again, but if you don’t really travel all that often or ride in cabs with a baby, I think I would advise just going straight to the convertible carseat and taking the baby out with an Ergo/carrier or stroller, since the infant seat will become a permanent fixture far sooner in your car than you think it will.

Baby Food Spoons

Type purchased: El cheapo spoons from Buy Buy Baby. I think they were these. Later, I purchased more from the grocery store that were about the same price, I think these. (I purchased more on the pro tip from my mom that if you give them a spoon to hold they magically eat more with less fuss, so I typically use two spoons at every meal. Trust me, it works.)

Hindsight: Absolutely do not purchase expensive baby food spoons (such as these). If the baby is hungry, he will eat off any apparatus you put near his mouth. He cares not one lick what you spent on baby utensils.

This was on the advice of a fellow mom in Buy Buy Baby when I was first purchasing spoons for Wee Connor’s first solids: “Oh my goodness, no, don’t even bother with those expensive baby spoons. If they’re hungry they’ll eat. There’s no difference at all.” This woman knew what was going on. Save that extra money on baby spoons for more coffee. In case you haven’t noticed “save the money for coffee” is a common piece of advice I give a lot.

Rocking Chair/Glider

Hindsight: Go with a rocker/glider that is comfortable and you love. I say this is absolutely worth a “splurge.”

In designer nurseries nowadays I see these chic minimalist rockers that look oh-so-Pinterest-worthy. All I see when I look at that stupid thing is, “numb ass and sore neck.” After 8 months, I am still more glad of the glider I purchased from West Elm than any other baby purchase I made. Get a rocker or glider that when you sit in it you go, “ohhh, that is sooo amazing,” because even at 8 months in, you’ll be reading in it, rocking in it, and generally still spending a lot of time in it. At the beginning, you’ll snooze in it.

I love my glider. I love the way it feels, I love the way it looks. I love everything about it.

Get a rocker or glider you love. I can personally attest it’s worth it.

Baby Food Maker

Type purchased: Beaba Babycook Pro

Hindsight evaluation: I use this almost every day and love it. However, if you’re really debating on cost, an immersion blender and steam basket will accomplish the exact same thing.

I make almost all of Connor’s food because I’m a crazy person. I registered for a Beaba Babycook Pro and use it all the time.

Here’s how it works: you put the food you want into the steamer basket. There are 3 lines on the blending container, and you fill it with water (up to 2 for fruits only, 3 for meats/veggies), you pour the water into the top like a coffee maker, put the steamer basket into the blending container, plop it all onto the machine, close it, and hit the button. When the machine beeps, you take the steamer basket out, reserve some water, then blend it all up in the blender basket. It’s a one-stop-shop and makes making baby food as easy as making coffee that takes up almost no counter space. I use it to make a few baby portions at a time.

The only complaint I have about the Beaba is its capacity is limited. At first this isn’t a problem – the baby doesn’t eat a ton and so you don’t need a ton of food. But then the baby starts doing this thing called “growing” and “needing food” and you need more and more food. Or you want to make more “complex” recipes (one of Connor’s favorites is poached salmon in spinach with crème fraîche…it sounds much fancier than it actually is). That’s when you probably need something more hefty.

I guess what I’m saying is that it’s all personal preference. I think the Beaba is one of the reasons I’ve really stuck with making Connor’s food, and for things like mashed sweet potatoes/parsnips, simple meat/veggie mixes, fruit purées, it can’t be beat. For larger scale makings, I cannot recommend an immersion blender highly enough. I have this one, which came with a mini cup for food processing, and it has not failed me once.

Perhaps a nice compromise would be to get the Beaba with two cooking areas, so you could potentially make more at once, or make an entire dinner’s worth of meals, but I feel like that’s getting a little too nitty gritty.

And if you don’t like cooking or making food, then spend your time and energy elsewhere! I stopped making homemade applesauce because it’s not cheaper, it takes a lot of time and effort, and the store sells applesauce in large, nice jars, already puréed. Same with oatmeal! Everything in moderation, including moderation. Vaya con dios!

Highchair

Type purchased: Boon Flair Pneumatic Pedastal Chair

Hindsight Evaluation: I love this chair. I could not have been more right in selecting this chair.

Sometimes you just get it right, and this was one of those times. This highchair has been absolutely amazing, and for all the reasons I thought it would be amazing, and then some. Here’s a quick summary:

It has wheels. Why are wheels important? Well, despite telling Connor that I had read many books on French babies and their impeccable table manners he apparently is still a baby and food seems to get everywhere. Wheels allow me to literally roll him to the kitchen for a quick mopping of face and hands.

There are no corners to it. Please see above re: food everywhere. No corners means that I am never digging food particles out of strange crevices because there are no crevices. Easy wipedowns are clutch.

It’s the most stain resistant item in my house. I don’t know how or why, but this white plastic it’s made out of seems impervious to any and all stains, including blueberries.

It has a high back, which is nice for support when the baby is younger.

The cover for the table part fits in the dishwasher. This. is. so. clutch.

The seat is adjustable up or down, which actually has come in handy more often than I thought it would.

Again, I am adamantly in love with this highchair. I cannot recommend it enough.

So there you have it! Those are some of the items I see on a lot of baby registries and my honest opinions on where I went right and wrong.

And you thought I was kidding about the “place for my cat to sleep” thing. And yes, that’s me.

I really have a place for a little person to sleep! And, if any/all of my baby pictures were any indication, my cat will have a cozy place to nest herself, too!

One of the great things about working from home is that if the delivery people show up, you’re there (assuming they decide to drop something off at your door instead of at the leasing office, which is a 50/50 crapshoot and in which case I can never seem to get to the office at a time where I can pick up a package. But I digress.). So, when the crib showed up at my door I got extra excited, and not just because I would talk to a human being in person.

I pulled the box inside my apartment and stared at it.

I asked my dog if I should maybe just open it, you know, to see if there were any visible signs of damage. My dog said it was all cool. Remember, all: working from home for three years.

I opened the box. And then, you know, I made sure to take all the packing materials off to just double-check for damage.

Then something came over me. If I call it pregnancy brain it’s a disservice to pregnancy brain, because it was more that some little voice in the back of my head said, you know, you’re not half-bad at assembling things. I bet you could put this together. To which I replied (again, working from home for 3 years does NOT a normal sense of self-conversations make), I AM pretty good at assembling things, brain! You’re right! I am woman! Rawr!

And so it began. I went into action mode. I laid out all the pieces and parts just like the directions said. I made sure to cross-reference the different sizes of screws and bolts and be familiar with each type, and then I just did it. I assembled the crib all by myself. Now, it could be that this crib was excessively easy to assemble (which it was, by the way), but suddenly I looked up and it was done.

I AM WOMAN. I CAN NOT ONLY WATCH AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK IN ONE SITTING BUT I CAN ASSEMBLE A PLACE FOR MY CHILD TO SLEEP ALL BY MYSELF.

Hear me roar!

As I sat there admiring my own handiwork and feeling empowered the phone rang. It was TLH, telling me that he was on his way home. I immediately told him of my triumph and assembly skills expecting some sort of, “Wow!” or “You deserve even more chocolate than normal because you’re normally amazing and this is extra amazing!”

Silence.

“Did you hear me?”

“…wait…you put together the entire crib? It’s done?”

At this point, I realized I may have fumbled the parenthood ball a little bit. I just had to figure out where I went wrong.

“Well, um, maybe some of the screws need to be tightened, now…um…is that…ok?”

Silence again.

…

Uh oh.

“Well, um, it’s not like that’s the one thing I wanted to put together or anything and that you imagine doing for your firstborn son or anything, you know, a father putting together his son’s crib.”

Oh. Crap. I get it now. Yup. Loud and clear.

I immediately began trying to backtrack, but there was only so much backtracking I could do before I backed straight into a fully assembled crib.

I am woman. Hear me whimper quietly and apologize.

The assembled crib, with the most adorable stuffed giraffe I have ever seen. And the hind quarters of my dog because obviously. If you look closely enough, you can actually see my shame wafting out of the crib like odors in a cartoon.

TLH walked in the door and I sheepishly showed him the finished crib. He inspected my work, and tightened the screws and we put it into the nursery, which is honestly just an amalgamation of pieces of baby stuff with no rhyme or reason or decorating. I swore to TLH I would let him assemble the changing table, which enthused him far less, probably because of the whole “a sleeping baby is way more fun to think about than a pooping baby” thing.

I’ll chalk this one up to a complete bumble on my part. It wasn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last. TLH of course forgave me as he usually does, and did help assemble the changing table, suggesting that we do it together like civilized adults in a partnership. (The guilt! THE GUILT!)

At some point we’ll get around to the decorating stuff, too.

I hope.

P.S. If you are curious about what crib we got – it’s this one, the Jenny Lind convertible. It’s well-priced (~$199), very sturdy, and, in my opinion, adorable. And, clearly, it’s easy to assemble, too. I love this crib, and, as it stands right now, would absolutely recommend it. I’ll probably even write more about it later and why I chose the crib I chose. Once I get over the guilt.